AutoGuitarTab: Computer-Aided Composition of Rhythm and Lead Guitar Parts in the Tablature Space

We present AutoGuitarTab, a system for generating realistic guitar tablature given an input symbolic chord and key sequence. Our system consists of two modules: AutoRhythmGuitar and AutoLeadGuitar. The first of these generates rhythm guitar tablatures which outline the input chord sequence in a particular style (using Markov chains to ensure playability) and performs a structural analysis to produce a structurally consistent composition. AutoLeadGuitar generates lead guitar parts in distinct musical phrases, guiding the pitch classes towards chord tones and steering the evolution of the rhythmic and melodic intensity according to user preference. Experimentally, we uncover musician-specific trends in guitar playing style, and demonstrate our system's ability to produce playable, realistic and style-specific tablature using a combination of algorithmic, user-surveyed and expert evaluation techniques.